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Truly Dreadful Film

Such a frustrating disappointment

An unexpected masterpiece

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

The essence of drama is conflict. Conflict arises from actions or intentions that are at cross purposes. These actions may be classified as 'good' or 'evil' , but these labels depend on the observer identifying with one side or the other. Taoism does not adhere to these classifications; in its pure form, it is amoral.The roles of antagonist and protagonist are similarly dependent on a moral judgment. In "Emperor of the North", Lee Marvin's character A No. 1 is clearly meant to be the protagonist; Ernest Borgnine's Shack is portrayed as the antagonist. Shack is obsessed with keeping (ho)'boes from hitching free rides on his train. A No. 1 takes on the challenge of doing so, in defiance of Shack (and railway regulations). The two men play out their duel on a train that is moving through forests and mountains on its way north to Portland, Oregon. If Marvin is the 'hero', it is a hollow triumph he seeks. There is no promise of a job waiting for him in Portland - he simply wants to 'beat' Shack and remain the widely acknowledged greatest boe there is. His peers are other rootless men who have been driven by circumstance to find work and food wherever they can. Their loyalties are to their empty bellies and, usually, their fellow boes. Some work in the railroad yards for whatever pay they can scrounge. One fascinating aspect of Emperor is the gambling that is shown as widespread: will A No. 1 succeed, or will Shack remain the unconquered, feared, and despised 'champion' of the rails?The time is late October, 1933. There is no welfare state, no food stamp program, no Social Security yet for everyone. These things are a part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, which is in its infancy during this movie. FDR's voice is heard on the radio early on. He urges the citizenry to be scrupulous about the programs he has pushed through Congress; to "cooperate with me, in making this the most efficient, and the cleanest, public enterprise that the world has ever seen". To the men who ride the rails, the prize is their next meal.Marvin is his usual laconic self. He does not attempt to turn A No. 1 into a heroic or noble figure. He is just a guy who is self-assured and fiercely protective of his independence. His underplaying is a thing of wonder. He conveys the decency and humanity of A No. 1 with the slightest of head shaking and almost imperceptible nods and winks.Borgnine is simply awesome as Shack. His sadistic glee at casually maiming and bullying hapless vagabonds is palpable. He keeps his eyes wide open like a giant piranha the whole time. His kind can also be found in other movies, guarding prisons housing felons and herding Jews into the ovens of Auschwitz. Shack gets off on power over others. He is doing his job - maintaining security on the train - but perhaps a little too well. An early incident shows how things can get out of control if the boes are allowed free rein. In a country paralyzed by economic disaster, he protects the interests of the Establishment. If cattle do not arrive at their markets, people, innocent people, may suffer. Again, the morality of the various characters is relative to one's point of view. Is Order Good? Is Chaos Evil? In terms of the physical universe, good and evil are essentially meaningless concepts. A hawk killing a rodent is not evil: it is feeding.Keith Carradine plays Cigaret, a young drifter who follows A No. 1 around, while boasting of his own boe prowess. The relationship between the two reminded me greatly of "The Film Flam Man", where grizzled grifter George C. Scott mentors Army deserter Michael Sarrazin. The dynamic between the two men is much different in "Emperor", but there is an echo of one to be found in the other. The locations and down-home soundtracks of both movies are also similar.The supporting cast is overflowing with familiar character actors. Elisha Cook Jr appears briefly, nearly unrecognizable in an eye patch. Other notables are Malcolm Atterbury as Hogger the engineer, Harry Caesar as Coaly the coal stoker, Charles Tyner as Cracker, the boe assistant to Shack, Matt Clark as railyard boe Yardlet , Liam Dunn as hobo jungle resident Smile, Robert Foulk as a passenger train conductor, and Simon Oakland playing a policeman (again!). The ensemble meshes wonderfully, dutifully providing texture and a backdrop to the central conflict.Robert Aldrich directs the film without gimmicks while creating an immersive experience. The shots of 56-year-old Borgnine and 48-year-old Tyner nimbly running along the top of an obviously real moving train are incredible. As the train continues north, the lush scenery of Northern California and Oregon displays the inherent beauty of indifferent Nature, and provides contrast to the personal drama played out in the foreground. This film is all about survival. If Shack allows boes to ride his train, the company will replace him with someone who will not. And he knows it, which makes him just as desperate as the men he brutalizes. There can be no quarter given in this world, where every loose chicken represents another day of Life. I highly recommend this film. It is not grim, but it is not a comedy, either, although there are numerous humorous moments. It is the stuff that great dramas are made of.

Had the movie sitting around for a few months only because I had others to watch. Thought it was a fine movie and a must see. Train lovers should really like this flick.Cool scenes...Ernest Borgnine clubbed this hobo over the head with his hammer and the guy fell between the cars. The train then proceeded to run the poor guy over cutting him in half!Ernest Borgnine locked one of the cars with Lee Marvin and Keith Carradine inside. So Lee Marvin started a fire and busted out chicken in hand followed by Keith Carradine.The movie was kind of a head of its time.

Set on the rails in the northwest during the great depression Emperor of the North is on the surface a tale of hobos and trains. Marvin portrays A No. 1 reigning king of the Hobos. His counterpoint is Borgnine, as Shack the sadistic train conductor. Rounding out the cast is Carradine as Cigaret a young up start hobo trying to make a name for himself on the rails.We get a glimpse of what Makes Shack tick in one of the opening scenes of the film after her brains a hobo with a hammer when he catches him riding for free on his train. His maniacal grin as the nameless hobo is crushed under the train is worth the price of admission. A No. 1 posts for all to see that he is going to ride the #19, Shacks train on the water tower at the station. No one has ridden the train without paying and lived to tell the tale. Brash new comer Cigaret wants to claim the crown as top Hobo and announces his plan to ride the train as well. A No. 1 views Cigaret as a poser and braggart but eventually attempts to teach him the secrets of being a successful hobo and give him some life lessons.The rest of the film focuses upon the conflict between these three men upon the #19 train. The climactic battle between Shack and A No. 1 that concludes the film is amazing. Picture if you will a battle involving two by fours, chains, a hammer and an Axe upon a moving train. The cinematography in the film is top notch. They really managed to capture the spirit of being on a steam engine chugging down the line. If you have a thing for trains this is sure to be right up your alley. Similarly the costumes and set pieces certainly seem like authentic depression era garb and equipment. The film evokes thoughts of black and white depression era pictures of work camps and unemployment lines.Additionally the themes of class and generational warfare permeate the film. It seems as if the film is attempting to get the audience to examine their own perceptions of other classes of people and their interactions with them. The film is set in a time of great upheaval in America when destitute masses searched for food, work and hope along the roads and rails in America. The hero A. No. 1 manages to keep his humanity, humor and sense of purpose despite the state he finds himself in. This film is defiantly worth checking out it may remind you a bit of a Peckinpah film. He was actually in negotiations to direct the film until money and control problems derailed the project. Aldrich does an admirable job in his own right at the helm making this a film worth viewing.

I have to say, this film is one of the hidden gems of the '70s. The only reason I found it was because it was recommended on Amazon after I ordered "The Dirty Dozen". It is definitely an exciting film, even if a little slow at times. The scene where Shack's train is attempting to avoid a collision with a fast mail train still resides in my memory as one of the more exciting action scenes I have ever viewed.Ernest Borgnine is excellent as the sadistic conductor, and Lee Marvin is as well in his role as a veteran freight-hopper. Keith Carradine plays his role as an arrogant, whiny youth quite well, to the point where I was genuinely disgusted with his character. Malcolm Atterbury is perfectly cast in his final film role, playing the memorable bit part of the Hogger. Oregon Pacific and Eastern #19 is also captured beautifully among the lush foliage of the Pacific Northwest. Almost all of the filming looks like it was done on location, and Borgnine and Marvin are quite convincing as "real men" who don't need stunt doubles to be impressive.The soundtrack is the only part I genuinely did not like about this movie. The tune and lyrics are both very, very '70s, and I think that some music from the period that the film is set in would be much more effective. The timing of the already flinch-worthy music is occasionally quite bad, such as in the pre-credit sequence in the very beginning of the film. In this case, Shack finishes off an unlucky hobo with a hammer, and upbeat folk music begins to play as we see his bisected body on the tracks behind the train. Really? The music was bad, but not enough to bring it down one star in my book. The film's amazing cinematography more than makes up for this shortcoming, and the performances of both the main and supporting actors further boosts my opinion of it.I would highly recommend this film for any railroad buff or action movie lover. This is truly a forgotten masterpiece that deserves a spot in any collection!